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Mancation to Mammoth Mountain

I just took a trip up to Mammoth Mountain to go skiing with a bunch of my guy friends.

We are all ‘dads’ and bar-one of us, all happily married. First off, I am a devoted father and really love my wife too. So is it strange that I throughly enjoyed some guys-only time on the ski slopes? I know that sounds a little Brokeback Mountain, but it wasn’t. It was great. Great to have man-time! Again, that sounds weird…

Anyway, so here’s how it all went down; A couple weeks ago while at my niece’s 1st birthday party [which was a spectacular Coachella themed shindig] a [relatively] new-friend, Jeremy asked me if I skied? “Yup, I snowboard too, love it…” was my response. Jeremy said, “Fantastic! Want to join us next weekend for a dad’s only ski trip up in Mammoth at my folks cabin?” Before Jeremy was even done asking I was like “hell yes!” Then after the obligatory high-fives and comments about ‘snow-bunnies’, I sheepishly had to check-in with the wife to make sure I had the green-light. Being the trooper that she is, naturally she said, “Of course honey, leave the kids and go have a great Mancation with the boys.. I’ll have a crazy girls weekend soon enough…”

A couple days later I asked one of my buddies Ryan about the details when it dawned on me that I actually haven’t skied in over 9 years. Granted I’ve done some skijoring which is skiing behind huskies in the Arctic, but no down-hilling for 9 years, since I lived in London.

National Geographic’s Perilous Journey’s

When we’d get away to France, Switzerland and Austria for quick trips all the time.. All the guys I was about to ski with are all experts, so naturally I was a little concerned about simply keeping up. But after the first run which was down a black diamond, called Scotties, I was, to my utter astonishment keeping up with these expert skiers! On the chairlift back up all the guys were saying how relieved they were that I wasn’t a total dud.

Mammoth Mountain Mancation

Apparently that was their big fear too, that the new guy would be slowing them down all weekend long.. So I’m now basking in this new found glory of still having it after 9 years on the slopes when they drop the bomshell…it turns out that there is some new technology on the slopes. ‘The rocker skis’ are simply amazing! If you haven’t skied in 7 or so years you will hardly believe how much easier its gotten, you hardly have to try to turn, its much easier now than it ever was. I was thinking i was so much better than before but it turns out they’ve figured out a way for me to be as good as a 1970’s olympic skier in 2013! In other words I look a lot better than I really am. See for yourself…